Arizona Chickens

[itsredcandy]

Mama Hen, Paprikash, seems very happy with her baby chicks. After sitting on eggs for nearly a month, her chicks have arrived safe in the mail and were placed in the 'brooder' with her today. She looks so happy. So far they are all staying near one another. Can't wait to watch this relationship develop with her adopted clutch. I was so glad to toss the rotten eggs she's been setting on. I turned my quail cage into the brooder for the time being to help her keep the chicks safe away from my dog and the other hens. I'll let her keep them there for several weeks until all seems safe to move them all to the hen house.

Here are pictures of Paprikash and her babies within moments of meeting one another.

One of the babies seems pretty lethargic. I gave her water and a tad bit of sugar water, hope she pips up. Due to shipping mortalities I only got 5 instead of 6 and if she doesn't make it then I am down to 4.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Mama Hen, Paprikash, seems very happy with her baby chicks. After sitting on eggs for nearly a month, her chicks have arrived safe in the mail and were placed in the 'brooder' with her today. She looks so happy. So far they are all staying near one another. Can't wait to watch this relationship develop with her adopted clutch. I was so glad to toss the rotten eggs she's been setting on. I turned my quail cage into the brooder for the time being to help her keep the chicks safe away from my dog and the other hens. I'll let her keep them there for several weeks until all seems safe to move them all to the hen house.

Here are pictures of Paprikash and her babies within moments of meeting one another.

How adorable. What breed are the chicks? I am hoping my Mama Hen Gretchen (GLW) goes broody again. It is fun to watch her and the little ones.

 

[beehappy4ever]

There's also a chance the coyotes made the inital kill and the hawks were taking advantage of it. Were they bantam chickens? I'm having a hard time picturing a Harris Hawk taking out a large fowl chicken. Pigeons, yes. Rabbits, yes. Large fowl chicken? Maybe. Five large fowl chickens at once? Sounds more like dogs or coyotes. Five bantams at once? More likely than five large fowl but I'd still suspect dogs or coyotes. In a way it doesn't matter. Now that all the predators know there's meat in the back yard it is going to be a target. I'm sorry for your loss, beehappy4ever. Hope you can get the enclosed run built soon.

They took out my HUGE rooster who I think was probably trying to defend the flock, my other rooster who is just a normal rooster but looked like a banty next to jack was fine, also got 5 pullets so they where small, and one hen that was a BA, she had something going on with her though and had stopped laying over the last few weeks. We did have an owl get into our flock and kill a bunch of hens once at night, they ripped through a dog run that was fully enclosed but was plastic chicken mesh not the wire kind. That time I heard the noise and ran out and saw the owl. A coyote would have taken at least one body but they where all there and it looked like predator bird damage when you saw the birds. A neighbor lost their chiquaqua to a hawk last year, they where in the front of their property and the hawk swooped down and snatched it up, it was only 2 pounds or so. They are so pretty when you see them flying but horrible birds! I hadnt seen any all summer but now that they know the chickens are there I have to be extra careful.

 

[beehappy4ever]

Mama Hen, Paprikash, seems very happy with her baby chicks. After sitting on eggs for nearly a month, her chicks have arrived safe in the mail and were placed in the 'brooder' with her today. She looks so happy. So far they are all staying near one another. Can't wait to watch this relationship develop with her adopted clutch. I was so glad to toss the rotten eggs she's been setting on. I turned my quail cage into the brooder for the time being to help her keep the chicks safe away from my dog and the other hens. I'll let her keep them there for several weeks until all seems safe to move them all to the hen house.

Here are pictures of Paprikash and her babies within moments of meeting one another.

So cute, and what a great brooder box..I am jealous.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Trixie did it!! I wasn't sure what color I would get from her. (Her daddy is a Bantam Mottled Cochin and her mama is an EE.) She is 18 weeks and 4 days and I found a little egg in amongst the large ones. Her egg weighed in at 26 grams and the large one from my Welsummer is 66 grams. Now just waiting on my other 2 18 week old EE's.







Trixie's EE's sisters who are 6 months old.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

They took out my HUGE rooster who I think was probably trying to defend the flock, my other rooster who is just a normal rooster but looked like a banty next to jack was fine, also got 5 pullets so they where small, and one hen that was a BA, she had something going on with her though and had stopped laying over the last few weeks. We did have an owl get into our flock and kill a bunch of hens once at night, they ripped through a dog run that was fully enclosed but was plastic chicken mesh not the wire kind. That time I heard the noise and ran out and saw the owl. A coyote would have taken at least one body but they where all there and it looked like predator bird damage when you saw the birds. A neighbor lost their chiquaqua to a hawk last year, they where in the front of their property and the hawk swooped down and snatched it up, it was only 2 pounds or so. They are so pretty when you see them flying but horrible birds! I hadnt seen any all summer but now that they know the chickens are there I have to be extra careful.

Wow, so it does sound like it was the hawks. I have an avid birder friend that lives over on the NW side of Tucson and he's been telling me stories about a group of five Harris hawks terrorizing the pets in his neighborhood. One of his neighbors claimed that they caught and killed an elderly cat and another said that they got their chihuahua. After I heard that, I decided that it wouldn't be out of the question that they would try to go after my chickens if they had the chance.

 

[Chick-A-BoomBoo]

Hello....my name is Kate and am new to the forum, have been lurker mode for a few months.

We bought a chicken coop over the summer and it is home to 3 banty silver duckwings,( 2 pullets and a roo.) Names are El Gallo Guapo, Muffin & Figgy.
They are the cutest, spunky trio of chickens around. They have so far survived the Phoenix heat, the dog, pair of red tail hawks, and me being a new owner.

So went ahead and ordered 25 bantam chickens from Mcmurrays today for delivery the first week of October. They will be our official "yard" chickens. The bermuda grass backyard supports a huge insect population that I hope the bantams can help with. Anyone know how many insects a chicken can dine on in a day?

Next project is a hen house, want to get that built asap and am hoping then to get some chickens for eggs and maybe even meat chickens. I've been looking at all kinds of chicken coops and houses here on BYC. Need the hot weather coop version with lots of open air and wire run.

Hoping to get to know all you here.

Kate

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hi Kate!

We're glad you decided to de-lurk and join us. 25 bantam chicks?!!! How exciting! Good luck on your coop plans and let us know if we can help with any questions.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Welcome Kate. Happy to have you join our forum family. Great bunch of peeps on here.

 

[azmotogirl]

Hey gang..... I could use some help! We have 7 chicken of laying age and have only been getting 1 egg a day (if we are lucky)..... only 4 eggs in the last 6 days! They are all eating well and show no signs of "critters" bothering them. Two of them seem to be molting a bit but only slightly (meaning I am finding feathers but they don't look like they have lost very many!) 3 of them are about 2.5 to 3 yrs old and I was thinking they may be really slowing down due to age.

Any thoughts or suggestions?!?

On a funny note...... actually bought a dozen eggs to make deviled eggs the other day. When I finished and offered some to my husband, he tasted them and turned his nose up! He said they had NO taste at all! I guess we have just gotten spoiled with our fresh eggs.